Each of Dacorum’s three town centres now benefits from a lifesaving piece of kit thanks to high street deparment store M&S.

The upmarket retailer has boosted its first aid capabilitiesby taking part in a project by the region’s ambulance service to install 1,000 defibrillators in locations across the east, with 40 going into Marks & Spencer stores.

A total of 12 are being donated in Herts with M&S shops in Hemel Hempstead’s Marlowes, Tring’s Dolphin Square and the Simply Food store in High Street, Berkhamsted each receiving one of the vital pieces of kit.

Marks and Spencer’s fire, health and safety manager Keith Davis said: “Our position at the heart of community high streets and large footfall shopping destinations means that our stores are perfect venues to host defibrillators.

“They save lives and we know that by having them in our stores, they will save a life in an M&S store in the future.

“We’re training our first aiders to use them in our stores and with the support of the East of England Ambulance Service, we are making shopping safer than ever before.”

The ambulance trust aims to have placed all the new defibrillators around the region by the end of the month.

The devices, which can be accessed by a member of staff or the public, are also going into schools, libraries, sports centres and village halls to be used when a person goes into cardiac arrest.

While the equipment is simple to use, staff at each location will be provided with training sessions.

Andrew Barlow, community partnership manager for the ambulance service, said: “We want to maximise the potential benefit of these defibrillators by placing them in high priority and busy locations, which will help patients before the arrival of a community first responder or front-line ambulance worker.

This will undoubtedly help save lives and improve the outcomes for patients

Andrew Barlow, EEAST

“It is great news that M&S has got involved in this ambitious project.

“This investment will help improve coverage in our communities and will undoubtedly help save lives and improve the outcomes for patients when they are called upon.”